Petra Kotzbeck joined COREMED as a senior scientist in 2018. She quickly became head of the ‘Tissue Regeneration and Wound Healing’ research group and shortly afterwards deputy director. She is also an associate professor in the Clinical Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Medical University of Graz, where she heads the Research Unit for Tissue Regeneration, Repair and Reconstruction. Her research focuses on regenerative medicine, wound healing, inflammation and metabolism. She will take up her new position as director of the centre at the beginning of April.
Petra Kotzbeck: ‘I am delighted about the trust placed in me with my new role as Centre Director. In this position, I would like to actively shape the further development of the Centre and drive forward important projects. Another issue close to my heart is making women in leadership positions more visible.’
JOANNEUM RESEARCH Managing Director Heinz Mayer: "With Petra Kotzbeck, a passionate researcher and manager is taking over the management of COREMED. She has had a significant impact on the centre in recent years with her work and has provided important impetus. Her appointment to the top management of this dynamic research centre is a well-deserved recognition of her scientific achievements and her commitment to the company. At the same time, it sends a strong signal about our goal of bringing more women into leadership positions and making their expertise visible."
JOANNEUM RESEARCH has made positive progress in increasing the number of female managers. The proportion of women among senior scientists rose by 7 percentage points to 33 per cent between 2020 and 2024. Among principal scientists and middle management, the proportion of women rose by 5 percentage points to 17 per cent over the same period. Since the beginning of 2026, two women have also been working as authorised signatories for the company.
Facts & Figures
Family is not just a woman's responsibility: over the last few years, there has been an increase in paternity leave at JOANNEUM RESEARCH. In 2024, the proportion of men on parental leave totalled 39 per cent. In addition to paternity leave, the Papawochen (Daddy Weeks) programme is also very popular.
Women make up 39 per cent of the workforce at JOANNEUM RESEARCH, with women accounting for the majority of non-scientific staff at 62 per cent, while 31 per cent of scientific staff are female. Compared to other technical and scientific research companies, JOANNEUM RESEARCH is right on par with the average.